solar flares

NEWSWEEK
The Sun could be entering a new cycle of activity, potentially as soon as this month, a scientist has said.
Our star generates a powerful magnetic field which goes through roughly 11-year-long cycles. At the end of this period, the polarity of this magnetic field flips, meaning that the north and south poles switch.
Scientists refer to end of this cycle as a solar minimum, the period of lowest activity. The middle of the cycle—the solar maximum—on the other hand is a period of ...

Beginning as small, icy bodies on the outskirts of the solar system, comets turn into spectacular streaks of light when they pass through a "gateway" near Jupiter, according to new research.
LIVESCIENCE
This gateway is a region of space where objects called centaurs — small, icy bodies that orbit between Jupiter and Neptune — start to nudge closer to the sun. As they do so, they heat up and become “active,” primarily releasing a dusty halo of gas — which makes these small bodies, technically...

Short-term geomagnetic disturbances driven by solar activity have been linked to a broad range of adverse health effects.
Carolina Leticia Zilli Vieira
In this blog, author Carolina Leticia Zilli Vieira discusses her recent article, published in Environmental Health, which looks at the effects of GMD on cardiovascular diseases, myocardial infarction, and stroke in 263 U.S. Cities.
Daily geomagnetic disturbances, or geomagnetic storms, are temporary distortions in the Earth’s magnetic fiel...

Geomagnetic reversal effects are natural and spectacular, but they could also destroy the world as we know it.
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY NORTHROP GRUMAN
While that may sound dramatic, renowned science journalist Alanna Mitchell’s book “The Spinning Magnet“ revealed that the next time Earth’s magnetic field flips, it could seriously damage the electric infrastructure that defines our modern civilization.
What is an Electromagnetic Field?
While magnetism is fascinating, it has also been histor...

The Earth is being battered by a huge solar storm, which could disrupt the power grid and GPS as well as letting people see beautiful auroras.
A potent blast of magnetic plasma shot out of the sun on Sunday, travelling faster than usual, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It brought with it the biggest solar storm at least since March, and perhaps since September 2005.
The solar weather brought with it aurora — spectacular lights...